Cameras will be installed to deter young thugs after desperate pleas for help from troubled shopkeepers.

Norma Chisholm, 51, who runs The Local, in The Avenue, Nunthorpe, has been plagued by gangs of drunken youths for the last three years but said the problem reached a head last weekend.

On Friday night, youngsters set fire to a wheelie bin behind the shop, overturned three flower tubs and kicked in a fence.

Norma has been pleading with Middlesbrough Council to install CCTV to deter the gangs which can be up to 60-strong. Now the authority has vowed to fit cameras and send out warning letters to the culprits.

Norma said: "I stand my ground with them but the abuse you get is just really nasty. I have been threatened to have my throat slit.

"The girls are worse. They think they have the right to do whatever they want.

"I can't blame the street wardens and police, they have been brilliant, but we were told by council enforcement officers a month ago that we would be getting CCTV and lighting."

The council informed the Gazette of its decision following Norma's complaint.

Mike Clark, Middlesbrough Council spokesman, said: "We will be installing CCTV in the next few days to hopefully deter and detect who is causing the problems."

He added: "We have identified some people involved in earlier trouble and they were sent warning letters - more may be sent out if we can get some positive identification on the culprits."